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Brisketexan

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Posts posted by Brisketexan

  1. 2 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

    Do they do this with mafia investigations?  Do they do this with espionage investigations?  Do they do this with really expensive white-collar crimes?

    Are they tweeting out leaks of information in active investigations?

    Shhhh.....the troll is trolling.  Just watch him throw feces on the wall, thinking he got the better of you....while his hands are coated in wet shit.

  2. 1 hour ago, Bat Guano said:

     

    If we're talking game theory I think a better analogy would be to the game of go, which the Chinese play well. The goal is to control more of the board than your opponent, and often involves giving up small gains in one area to gain larger territory somewhere else. The more of the board you can control, the better; if you have a particularly inept and stupid opponent, you can get the whole thing.

    Trump isn't even playing the same game; if I had to guess, it seems like Whack-a-Mole. He's setting us up for epic losses.

    Go is indeed a better analogy.  And yes, he's not even playing the same game that everyone else is playing - he's just indulging in what feels good at the moment.

  3. 47 minutes ago, washparkhorn said:

    Amen Brisket. 

    Journalism is in dire need of reform. We need a strong "Chinese Wall" between news professionals and entertainers. CBS - to their credit - kept that wall in place better than any other major news division for many years (they eventually had to give into market forces that required a melding of news and entertainment). 

    The non-stop commentary provided by journalists on entertainment programs (Maddow/Hannity) creates the appearance that news professionals are biased. Reporters should report and rarely, if ever, provide their personal opinions on hard facts. And they should never become the story (see Jim Acosta's transformation from a reporter to a news topic). For those of us old enough to remember Watergate, there has been a fundamental shift in how news is reported. During Watergate, we were provided with original content (the actual hearings were broadcast in their entirety on most networks). The ability to access the information directly allowed the public to hear the evidence from the horse's mouth; today, we hear secondhand interpretations from reporters who provide their own spin of the news. There is very little difference between propaganda and opinion. Reporters need to stick to the facts and provide original source material whenever possible. The reliance on unnamed sources (with God knows what agenda they are pursuing) further weakens the credibility of reporters. Unnamed sources have their place in moving the news forward, but must be viewed with healthy skepticism and not be mistaken for fact-based news.

    My last soapbox statement: the public craves facts. When reporters repeat the same angle on a story as the angle promoted by political operatives, the public should be skeptical of whether that news is biased and coordinated. The better reporters identify who is spinning what story. The best reporters also find non-establishment perspectives. 

     

    44 minutes ago, Chuckie Finster said:

    In all honesty, I am not sure this is the case anymore.  And I think that is the scariest realization I have had over the past few years.

    From what I see on social media, people crave two things: 1) their "team" winning and 2) reinforcement of previously held beliefs.  Facts are, at least in my opinion, a distant third to those two.

    This.  You can tell what the public craves by watching what they most voraciously consume.

    The salad bar of facts is barely touched.  The buffet of deep-fried validation of existing beliefs, topped with a gravy of lies, has to be replenished every 5 minutes.

    • Like 1
  4. huh?
    When is this going to happen? Are they saving it for November 2020?

    Nope. I think the house flips in 2018. They send articles of impeachment to senate. He skates because GOP senate. No matter what the facts and evidence show, he skates.
    • Like 1
  5. Just now, Hugo Stiglitz said:

    It's going to be interesting to watch the GOP congress do nothing when Mueller drops 30+ indictments at once. 

     

    Just now, retread said:

    It would be beautiful to see the House impeach DOTUS and force the Senate to explain it away with "Seriously troubling Mueller report blah blah blah"

    You're both going to get your wish.

    And it won't matter.

    tumblr_opxfgl308s1qeklrro6_250.gif

  6. 7 minutes ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

    Nothing good can come from Trump firing Mueller for the GOP. 

    Trump's GOP allies in congress have already thrown their best at the Mueller investigation (memo, Strozk texts, McCabe stuff) and it hasn't done shit. 

    I'm pretty much the only one that's been saying Trump isn't going to fire Mueller the whole time and he's been on the case for almost a year. 

    Trump is a cornered rat and the GOP knows it.  They aren't going to bail him out. 

     

     

    They don't have to bail him out.

    They just have to refuse to act.

    The only entity that can remove Trump from office is the Senate.  The GOP-controlled Senate.  You and I both know that no matter what is ultimately revealed -- seriously, it could be a string of fucking murders committed by Trump's hand -- they'll wring their hands, note that "there was a lot of troubling information revealed in these proceedings, some of it quite disturbing.  But in the end, we just can't remove a duly elected president."

    That's it.  That's where the Constitutional process completely fails.  It depends on an independent, remotely ethical and law-abiding Senate.  When you don't have that, then all of the safeguards have failed.  And they will fail.  It's inevitable -- read the writing on the wall.  It looks a lot like this:

    1*U0wtpXQySXfHwLjMs7m0jA.jpeg

  7. 13 minutes ago, MaybeACoordinator said:

    "Outside agitators": We've been blaming them since 1861. -- Signed, Racists and Rich Right-Wingers of America

    Seriously -- google the term.  It's been a steady play for nearly two centuries.  They go back to it, time and time again.  Because of course, nobody would ever speak out against their policies if it wasn't for "outside agitators."

    "Why, our local negroes are fine, peaceful folks, and never give us trouble [because if they even thought about it, we'd hang 'em from the nearest tree].  All this unpleasant ruckus, well, that's being caused by outside agitators, riling up the locals, who are simple folks and easily manipulated.  Things were just fine around here until they showed up."

  8. 4 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

    I mentioned this above, but I'll mention it again: there is no greater example of the cynicism of Hillary Clinton than her abandonment of TPP.  And that's saying something. 

    It was peak Hillary.  "My principles are whatever I think the voters want them to be at any given moment in time."  It was always my biggest criticism of her -- nobody knows what she actually believes, other than the fact that she really, REALLY believed that she should be president.

  9. The problem is calling either one of those shows "news."  "News" is reporting of facts and events.  What they each do is "some facts and events -- with a shitload of commentary slathered on."  Now, Maddow's commentary may be more educated, eloquent, and rational than Hannity's (damning her with faint praise indeed), but it's still COMMENTARY.  And sure, she provides significantly more facts, and more relevant ones, as her background...but again, her end product is her explanation of what those facts MEAN.

    We the people mistake commentary for news.  That's a big fucking problem.

  10. Just now, longhornmatt said:

    This is what Pruitt told Trump to justify his request to include both Steven Seagal and an actual battleship in his 24 hr security detail.

    If Erika Eleniak is involved.....I'm listening......

  11. 1 minute ago, SuingToGetAMessageBoard? said:

    I think y’all are missing the general tenor of this conversation.  Okies are clearly on the side of the teachers here.  A half dozen dumb govt workers (including their dumb ass governor) doesn’t seem to be convincing many people.  

    Okies haven't voted for enough folks who are on the side of their teachers.  SOME okies are on the side of their teachers.  The bulk will continue to vote for the same dipshit leadership, mostly because they'll keep sharia law out of oklahoma, because we all know that the evil mooslems have figured out that the way to start a new global caliphate is to take over Oklahoma -- once they own that most important piece of America, the rest of the world can't help but fall by dominoes.

    Open your eyes, sheeple!

    • Like 1
  12. Just now, Aqua Buddha said:

    There are literally people on my Facebook feed blaming the Okie school shutdown on illegal immigrants.

    Of course there are.  One of their legislators said they need to just sort out anyone who doesn't speak English, and get them out of their schools.

    And then there are the okie legislators who claim that this is all "paid protesters."  Fascinating, being that I personally know several clergy members in Oklahoma who are at the capitol right now offering prayer and support to the teachers; I'm 99% confident none of them got any Soros checks.

    But none of that matters.  They will make up the facts that suit them, decide the issue based on those made up facts, and close their minds to any further consideration of the issue.

    The only reason that Okie schools are in trouble is dirty mexicans and George Soros.  Case closed.

  13. 2 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

    He's an Okie--of course he's owned by O&G.  

    Except in the complexion of its citizenry, there's really no difference between Oklahoma and Nigeria.

    The Nigerians I've met are better educated and have a stronger work ethic.

    • Like 2
  14. 6 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

    Fucking maddening.  Fuck all that we've learned in the past 40 years and the advancements we've made.  Let's go back to 1952.  Such a simpler time.

    40 years?  Try 70+.  That's what Trump, Trumpism, and the "anti-globalist" crowd are talking about.

    The past 70 years (post-WWII) are the most successful, peaceful, and prosperous in the history of the world.  Europe -- a continent defined by nearly perpetual warfare somewhere within its territory for centuries -- has been largely conflict-free.  Global standards of living have SOARED.  The liberal (small "l" -- used in the classical sense, seriously, see how the Economist uses the term) world order has had unprecedented success in advancing humanity.  Yes, some folks have been "left behind," relatively speaking -- it's tough to be a coal miner these days.  But in total, we are ALL so much better.  And to touch on trade, these 70 years have proven that it's not a zero-sum game.  The entire system does better, and everyone gains, by rational, economics-driven free trade.

    And economics and prosperity have a way of breaking down borders, ethnic prejudices, nationalism, etc.  That threatens folks who draw comfort from those things.

    The irony of Trump hollering "Make America Great Again!" is that the very things that made America great, particularly in the 30 years after WWII -- a liberal, peaceful world order, with free trade -- are the things he attacks.  It's like he's yelling "Bake a Cake Again," but in looking at the exact list of ingredients we used to bake the cake before, he loudly rejects flour, eggs, oil, and sugar.  I don't know what the fuck he wants to bake.  But it sure as fuck won't be a cake.

    • Like 2
  15. 4 minutes ago, bernorange said:

    http://gulfnews.com/opinion/thinkers/trump-s-power-struggle-with-china-isn-t-about-trade-1.2200486

    AEP doesn't even mention the petroyuan, but I suspect it's part of the conversation behind closed doors in DC.

    We also have the ultimate short-game, instant gratification game-player engaging in a global game of chess against perhaps the ultimate long-game player.

    Trump's going to strut around bragging about taking out 3-4 pawns - "did you see how hard they fell?  BAM!"  Meanwhile, China's setting up the board for checkmate years from now.  And they can and will suffer short term pain to get there.

    • Like 2
  16. 12 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

    You have to give trump credit convincing people that he’s a good deal maker mainly by calling himself the best deal maker for the past 35 years.   There is zero evidence that he is.  And a fair amount of evidence he isn’t 

    I like deal makers that haven't gone bankrupt six times.  Sad!

    • Like 1
  17. 46 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

    They'll come back around when told a black Muslim is going to take their guns and Bibles and rule them under Sharia law.

    QFMFT.

    They will acquiesce to having their livelihood go down the shitter (they'll blame Mexicans for that anyway), because they'll always, every time, 100% of the time, begin their pavlovian drooling and obedience when Trump and the GOP ring the "scary muslims/blacks/mexicans" bell.  I'm convinced that they no longer have free will to ignore that bell -- it's truly a response that's so deeply conditioned that it's an instinct that can't be overcome.

    • Like 2
  18. 5 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

    Why the fuck does the EPA director need a secured phone booth?  CIA, FBI?  That  I understand, but EPA?

    I call bullshit all around....like we didn't have a couple of these laying around that we could have repurposed....

    Get_Smart-Cone-of-silence.jpg

    • Like 2
  19. 1 minute ago, DixonHur said:

    Dude, get over yourself.  The 14th Amendment covers equal protection.  Just because people willfully disregarded it, doesn't mean it didn't exist.  Hell, it's still being used today to get bakers to cater gay weddings.

    The 14th amendment is about equal protection....provided by THE GOVERNMENT.  Not private entities.  Even to the extent that it's even been raised in the bakery cases (and it hasn't been a significant focus of briefing), it's been about the power of THE STATE to implement certain requirements/restrictions.

    So, AGAIN, the Constitution did not and does not mandate that PRIVATE enterprises -- like every restaurant, hotel, and gas station in the south -- treat people equally.

    I don't give a flying fuck if you get weepy.  I just hear millions of black people saying "Fuck YOU -- I'm not waiting to stop being treated like shit," and they're a shitload more persuasive than you are.  Because in their shoes, I'd be saying the same damned thing.

  20. 4 minutes ago, kevwun said:

    I've always preferred 71, but now that the last 2 overpasses in Bastrop are done it's not even close as to the better route.  Once you're passed 130, 71 is an easy drive.

    And speaking of terrible roads, I hate the shit out of 21.  Driving 50 for 30 miles because you can never, ever pass is so much fun.  I hate that highway more than any in the state.  The money wasted on 130 would have been so much better spent on making 21 four lanes from 71 to San Marcos.

    This.  When going between Houston and Austin, I take 71, because it's divided highway essentially the whole way.  It's generally a bit faster, too, but the "much less likely to die" thing really helps.

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